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After we finished, we took a stroll on the grounds, checking out the local environment. The weather was warm, the sky clear except for a light haze and a few high wispy clouds. We could be in Atlanta or San Francisco. There was nothing to indicate we were in Africa and so while I felt comfortable, and not out of my element, I did want to experience Kenya and especially go on safari.
For the rest of the morning, what was left of it, we sat in our room and read the papers, a few-days-old New York Times, the London Times and a local Nairobi newspaper. I checked my email and found one from my father. He was extremely busy with his campaign, and although I had only been away from Manhattan for four days, I felt a momentary pang of regret that I wouldn't see him or Elaine for almost six months. When I did return at the end of July, he would be in full swing for the election in November. He had to win the nomination for the congressional district and was waiting on a key endorsement from a powerhouse in the Republican Party but it was pretty much assured he'd win. As a respected Justice of the Supreme Court of New York State, he had weight and was touted to easily defeat any rival who might also seek the seat.
My father was in pretty good shape for his age, but he had a serious belly on him and I worried about the stress of the campaign. I'd be there for the run-up to the election and would help him out if I could at any campaign functions, despite our political differences. He was a good man.
Drake's cell rang and he answered. It was either Michael or the real estate agent and I listened to see who it was.
"We'll meet you in the lobby in fifteen."
Drake ended the call and turned to me. "Jan will be here in fifteen to take us to our first appointment. A place in Kihingo Village."
"Where's that?"
"North and west of Nairobi's city center in Kitusuru. Gated, walled and really upscale. He has five houses available there, but we'll only see three today."
I nodded, wondering what it would be like to live in a gated community. Besides my own tiny apartment in Harlem, I'd lived in the same apartment in Manhattan since I was born and was free to go anywhere in the city I wanted using Manhattan's wonderful transit system. Nairobi wasn't safe, depending on where you were, and so it would take some getting used to.
Jan, our real estate agent, had moved to Kenya from Denmark a decade earlier. He had a thick Danish accent, and was very relaxed as he spoke about the community with rich expat Americans working at the University, area hospitals, or for one of the corporations located in Nairobi. We took his late-model BMW and he skillfully maneuvered the roads in Nairobi, taking us north to the Kitusuru Estates in the Kihingo Village where the first house was located. A guardhouse with a gate marked the entrance to the estate. Beyond the gate, the estate was lush and green, with mature trees and fields.
We drove through the gated entrance of the community with huge houses and expansive lots filled with grass and trees and green spaces. There was even a man-made lake and picturesque bridges crossing streams. It looked like a very expensive suburb outside of any American city. Drake was right when he said we wouldn't even know we were in Africa.
The streets were wide and paved. A few children rode on bicycles, or played soccer on a pitch near the lake. It was quaint and I knew it would be quiet. We drove past a small shopping center with a large parking lot where dozens of cars were parked, shoppers walking to and fro with bags and carts filled with their purchases.
The houses were so much larger compared to what was typical in Manhattan. It was anything but what I was used to, having lived in Manhattan all my life. I couldn't imagine Drake and me living in a house so large. It looked more like something from Housewives of Beverly Hills. I didn't know how I'd fit in.
We stopped in front of a huge red brick house, the exterior elegant, and it seemed to be recently landscaped. It looked brand new.
"This one has four bedrooms and four bathrooms, a huge lot with a swimming pool, and there's a community tennis court, a track and shopping all within the compound."
I turned to Drake, who was eager to get out of the car and explore. "Do we really need a place so big?"
He took my hand. "No, but we can invite people to come and stay with us. Plus, you can use a room as a studio. I'll have an office and we could have a guest room."
I nodded, and took in a deep breath as we entered the house. Its huge entry was cavernous, with a chandelier in the circular foyer. The flooring was white marble tile and dark wood, the walls white, the appointments in burnished silver. I stopped in the entry and tried to imagine entering and not being impressed.
We walked through the house, and I barely heard Jan as he described the amenities. The rooms were large with high ceilings, the great room vaulted with floor to ceiling windows looking out over the back yard, which was three times as big as the house itself. The bathroom off the master bedroom was a work of art, all marble and gilded faucets, mirrors and tile. Besides a huge bathtub, there was a two-person shower, all glass and tile, with several showerheads of varying purposes. The vanity was dark wood and had dou
ble sinks.
Double doors lead to a patio off the master that adjoined the patio off the great room. Beyond the patio was the swimming pool. I could imagine sitting on the patio in the morning after a swim, reading the papers and drinking my morning coffee.
Jan showed us the other rooms, and Drake claimed the smallest one as his office and the third was allocated as the guest room. Finally, we entered a room almost as large as the master bedroom.
"This could be your studio," Drake said, smiling indulgently at me. The room was filled with light and would be perfect for a studio. I already imagined where I'd set up my easel and table for my paints and supplies. The small powder room off the bedroom would be a great place to wash up after a painting session. A set of patio doors looked out over the lawn. There was a central green space separating the other huge houses, which were far enough away and shielded by trees and brush so that no one could look directly into the house or yard.
Drake stood and watched me as I walked around. Jan remained back in the kitchen, speaking on his phone to check on our next appointment.
"It's amazing," I said, standing in the center of the room.
"It is, isn't it?" Drake said, excitement in his eyes. "So much better than the studio in Chelsea and that tiny room you had."
I nodded. "I'd still want to get some studio space in the city," I said as I examined the closet. "Otherwise, I'll get really lonely with you gone all day."
"Of course," he said, but I heard hesitation in his voice.
I went to him and slid my arms around his waist. "You don't sound very certain."
He shook his head and put his arms around my shoulders. He smiled lightly. "Of course I am. I can't keep you hidden away like some priceless jewel, now, can I? What kind of future-husband would I be? Typical masculine jealousy creeping in. Ignore it."
